Not a single statistic can rationalize why the Baltimore Orioles are in control of the wild-card spot halfway through August. They're not a good hitting team or starting pitching team, at least statistically. They're 11 games better than a .500 record and suddenly 14 years of futility, no matter the long odds against the team, seem like a distant memory.

But, with their 5-3 victory against the Red Sox Wednesday, the Birds won their ninth in 11 games. Mark Reynolds drove in two of the Orioles' five unanswered in the sixth inning to claim the victory.

People are going to try to write books about the 2012 Orioles. It'll be impossible. They'll try to make it about formulas, but that won't work. The 2012 Birds don't do much well, but do enough to win. It's become habit.

The Orioles aren't just talking about the wild card. Six games behind the Yankees in the American League East, Buck Showalter told the media Wednesday: "Our intent and our focus is on trying to catch the team ahead of us."

Posted Aug. 16, 2012